Friday, September 3, 2010

A Word with Author Nancy Lennea

NL: I grew up in Huntington, New York. It is located about thirty miles east of New York City, on Long Island. I was blessed with a lovely childhood home within walking distance of the rocky beaches on the north shore, and a twenty-minute drive to the sandy beaches of Fire Island and Jones Beach. I attended college in Plymouth, New Hampshire and stayed after graduation. Marriage, two homes, two sons, and three professions later, my husband and I moved to North Carolina in 2007. I found my calling…writing full time.

TBB: When and why did you begin writing?

NL: I have always been a voracious reader. I grew up reading Harlequin romances, and good friends told me about Nora Roberts and Janet Evanovich. One son started reading Stephen King, but his books scared me! My other fell into the Harry Potter craze. Those, I loved! When I quit my job as a hardware store Assistant Manager and became a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the state of New Hampshire, I found lots of free time between calls and on breaks. I read and read, then said “I can do better than this!” With my fellow dispatchers as my captive audience, and great critique partners, I came up with my first manuscript. This was back in October 2006.

TBB: What are your current projects?

NL: I just finished editing my next release from Red Rose Publishing. Destiny's Mountain is a romantic suspense set in a small college town in the mountains of New Hampshire. Sound familiar? Yes, I used my college years and subsequent time as a volunteer EMT and firefighter to create a story with believable characters amid beautiful and sometimes treacherous scenery. This book comes out on September 30th. I am also trying to find a like-minded agent to take my career to the next level. I have dabbled in the paranormal. Dragon's Curse is a Scottish historical paranormal written under my alternate persona which was published last June. Learn more about it here: www.nancyleebadger.com.

I am working on a manuscript that starts in New York City before my hero and heroine find themselves at each others’ throats in a New Hampshire campground. My sister and I thought up the premise of another paranormal that takes place at a present day art museum, based on a real nearby museum.

TBB: Do you have any advice for other authors?

NL: Do not do this alone! Writing is a lonely profession. I look forward to the monthly meetings of my local Romance Book Club. Members are a mix of readers and reader/writers. I am Vice President of my local chapter of Romance Writers of America. We also meet monthly and enjoy workshops and speakers while sharing good news and general camaraderie. Blogs, Yahoo loop groups, Facebook and other internet options also help, but I don’t feel they are a substitute to personal contact with like-minded people.

TBB: What does your family think of your writing?

NL: Everyone is so supportive. My husband agreed to sell our home in New England to move near other family in North Carolina and so I could stay home and write full time. Loosing half our income a sacrifice for us both. I send him off to work and he brings home the money to pay bills. I only became a ‘published author’ last June. Royalty checks are trickling in and he is thrilled. My sons, parents, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles are also happy for me. We may be divided by distance, but I keep them informed via the internet and snail mail and phone. I send them bookmarks and business cards, and they pass them out to friends and to organizations. I know many will not read my books until they are available in paperback, but it is their support and word of mouth that makes writing a truly family affair.

TBB: How can our readers find you on the internet?

NL: I really do live the dream! I am a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and Sisters in Crime.

My website is here: www.nancylennea.com.My blog is here: www.nancylennea-inlove.blogspot.com and is where I have posted my itinerary of the blogs I will be featured on, especially in October when I promote Destiny's Mountain. These sites are where I post updates and excerpts from my Red Rose books.

TBB: Thanks for joining us today! We'll see you back for your next release!

NL: Thanks for having me here today, Kerri. I invite any readers who are interested in a free bookmark to send me an e-mail with their mailing address to nancy@nancylennea.com.

Blurb:

Rebecca Delacourt has played and taught tennis for the last three years. At twenty-one, she knows what she wants. Without help from her wealthy parents, she buys a condo in Glen Cove, NY and plans to be on the Olympic Tennis team. She has no time for men, marriage, or children. Her mother gave up her acting career when she became pregnant with older sister, Laney, whose illegitimate son is mute due to recent emotional trauma. She does charity work for breast cancer in Baltimore every year.

Taylor, a former TV actor, notices Becka. She knows him—she’s dreamed of his TV persona for years. They meet at her parent’s country club. He thinks he’s found gold in the athletic blond. After beating him at tennis he meets her parents. Too bad he knows them—a former co-star, and the man helping get him auditions.

Her sister moves in—thwarting any privacy. She’s hiding out and is attacked. Taylor finds himself falling for Becka. Will he change his arrogant ways, save her nephew from kidnappers, and realize she’s the one? Becka wonders if dreams can still be reached with someone beside her. Will they reach their dreams together?

Excerpt:

“Taylor, why are you here?” Becka asked. She immediately blushed. “I mean, aren’t you supposed to be in Germany shooting a picture? It sounds nice to think you’d race across the ocean when you heard about the attack, but that’s a silly notion.”

“I arrived in New York late last night and Laney’s call came soon after.” At her still puzzled look, he explained further. “There’s a writer’s strike on my movie set. Our leading star had another tantrum and everyone quit. There are always rewrites, but he slashed the entire script and bad-mouthed cast members, including me.” He chuckled at such a notion. “The man caused such a huge rift, everyone was granted two weeks off to cool down.

He hesitated before speaking, feeling his heart pounding, “Becka, I couldn’t stop thinking about you the entire time I was away.”

Her grimace made his jaw clench. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths then turned her attention toward the house.

“Can we talk about this later?” she whispered.

He’d said too much. Jumping to his feet, he headed toward the house. “I’ll get those sandwiches.”

“I might not be able to keep anything down, but I’ll try.” He sighed and stepped inside. He felt like running away. He’d opened up to her, something he never did with a woman. Until now.

Taylor entered the spacious kitchen. Her mother, Gloria, sliced through a sandwich, placed it with others on a tray, and glanced up at him with her dazzling green eyes. She forced her lips into a brief smile. Without warning, she burst into tears. Alarmed, he pulled her into a comforting embrace. Neither heard Vinnie enter the room.